Year-round comfort with heating help from Houston’s
Turn to the experts at Houston’s for help with your heat pump, furnace, or any other component of your heating system. Our team of heating experts work tirelessly to offer dependable, fast, and long-term solutions to all of your home comfort problems. Need a new system to tackle the winter cold? Or just need everyday repairs? Wear and tear is no match for Houston’s expertise!
Replacement and Installation for Heating
Regardless of type, heating systems are complex and require skilled technicians to install or repair. The majority of heat pump and furnace problems stem from a lack of maintenance or an installation error. No matter if there’s an issue with power outage, malfunctioning system parts, or problems with the filters, our expert technicians at Houston’s can resolve almost any heating problem.
Unfortunately, some systems are either too far gone or would cost more to repair than to replace. Houston’s seasoned techs can get a new system installed fast to make your home or office comfortable. If you’re looking to upgrade your system due to safety or reliability concerns, we can assist in your choice with a wide variety of Carrier heating solutions with extended warranties.
As a Carrier dealer, Houston’s is proud to offer our residential and commercial clients the leading name in heating and air quality. Take advantage of room-by-room adjustments, heating only rooms that are needed. Finally, a solution that satisfies everyone! Adjust temperature, fan speed, ventilation, air quality, humidity levels, and more, all from a single, user-friendly device.
But if your heat pump or furnace breaks down or the system you have just can’t keep up, the people you care about are in for a chilly winter. No matter the heating solution your home relied on previously, Houston’s stands ready with a solution to fit your needs and budget. Turn to us for help if you want to transition to any one of a variety of efficient, modern heat pumps or furnaces. We have experience with virtually every kind of heating and cooling system installation.
We can install:
- Heat pumps
- Electric, oil, and gas furnaces
Count on our experienced technicians to work closely with you to meet your home and family’s unique needs
Need Heating Repairs?
A heat pump or furnace on the blink is a real emergency for anyone. You can grin and bear it for a day or two; meanwhile, your home or office is only getting colder. At Houston’s, we prepare all year to handle all heating problems. From the moment you call to the second our skilled technicians arrive, our team does everything we can to make your heating repair as smooth as possible.
When you call the other guys, you never know what you may get. Whereas when you call Houston’s, we take the time to understand your problem and your unique situation. Our technicians are always happy to answer any questions. Once we diagnose your problem, we’ll lay out your options in plain English. Our pricing is affordable, fair, and transparent. After all, you have to make the decision that’s best for your home and your budget.
Common Alabama Furnace Issues
When colder weather arrives, it’s a good idea to prepare for common furnace problems you may face. We often see the same heating issues over and over. A little know-how and a few simple tips may help you avoid heating problems this season—or at least better understand what to expect if they happen to you.
1. No Heat At All
Several issues may cause your furnace to stop working entirely. Faulty ignitors are a common culprit, especially if your furnace suddenly shuts off after operating smoothly. Replacing them is a lower-cost furnace repair and is easy for a trained technician to do. Also, if your heating system hasn’t had regular maintenance, flame sensors can get dirty and keep your furnace from passing its internal safety checks. If you hear multiple clicks, but the furnace fails to start blowing warm air, dirty flame sensors may be your problem. Other possible causes include the thermostat, power, or gas supply.
2. Not Enough Heat
Your furnace may appear to be working, but it can’t keep up with the temperatures outside. First, check your air filter. A dirty filter may be clogging your system. Change your air filter to see if it improves performance. It might save you from scheduling a service call.
3. Heat Cycles On and Off
When your furnace continually cycles on and off, you may have a problem with a thermostat setting or airflow. First, check your thermostat settings. A bump or nudge can accidentally move the settings from heating to cooling or even turn the thermostat off altogether. Next, change your filter to see if a clean filter will improve airflow and stop the cycling.
4. Rumbles, Thumps, or Squeaks
Your furnace is designed to run quietly. If you hear loud noises, you likely have a mechanical issue that needs attention. Depending on the sound, you may have problems with your blower wheel, fan motor, ball bearings, or other parts of your furnace. Schedule a service call right away if your system makes troubling sounds. One of our professional heating technicians can help you understand what is going on before it causes more damage to your unit.
5. Fan Blows Constantly
If your heater blower doesn’t turn off, you likely have a problem with your thermostat, blower motor, or limit switch. Scheduling a service call is a good idea when your furnace blows continuously.
6. Lack of Maintenance
Scheduling heating checks for your furnace isn’t always convenient, but HVAC maintenance goes a long way in preventing breakdowns. We thoroughly clean and inspect your entire unit, priming it for top performance. Besides increasing energy efficiency, our system checks can also find parts that are wearing out before they break down. Many times, a system check can keep you comfortable all winter and help you avoid emergency calls when demand is high.
Pre-Service Heating Tips
You need your furnace to keep you warm and protect your home from dangerously cold weather. When you experience the need for home heating repair, it can be frustrating and stressful. Here are some quick DIY tips to try before scheduling service for a furnace repair. Problems sometimes have simple solutions, and we would love to save you the time and trouble of having a technician do something that you can easily do yourself.
Check Your Thermostat
The first step is to check your thermostat settings. Is it set to HEAT or AUTO? People often forget to update the settings when the seasons change. It’s also possible to change settings or even turn it off accidentally. Finally, try replacing the batteries. If your unit isn’t turning on at all, that simple fix may be all you need to get your heating system up and running again.
Replace Your Air Filter
Dirt can cause a lot of trouble for your furnace. Honestly, it’s the number one problem we see when heaters aren’t working. When dust builds up, it hinders performance and blocks airflow. To protect your HVAC system, replace your air filters frequently and schedule regular maintenance. Replacing your filter could improve both airflow and heat production.
Check for Adequate Airflow
Your furnace is designed to run with a certain amount of ventilation. Check for furniture, doors, or closed air vents that may be blocking airflow. It’s common practice to close vents in less-visited parts of the house, but each vent has a role in the overall design of your heating system. Try opening up your airflow (combined with a clean air filter!) and see if it improves performance.
Reset The Breaker
Losing power, even briefly, may trip the breaker to protect against surges. Turn the switch off entirely and then on again to restore power to your unit.
If these troubleshooting tips don’t get your furnace up and running again, please schedule an appointment for heating service. Our technicians are well-trained and ready to diagnose what’s going on in your home. Also, we always explain any options you have for repair so that you can make the best decision for your home and budget.
Common Heat Pump Problems in Alabama
Furnaces aren't the only heating systems vulnerable to the wear and tear of demanding Alabama winters. If your home is equipped with a heat pump system, you should be equally aware of the common issues we repeatedly see when temperatures drop. Familiarize yourself with these heat pump problems to prepare for any eventuality.
1. Blockage Issues
If your heat pump system isn’t heating sufficiently or at all, there may be a relatively simple solution. The condenser unit outside depends on consistent exchange of air to bring heat into your home. If it’s blocked by foliage, debris or even snow—rare in Alabama, but it happens—then your unit won’t be able to heat your home to its full capacity. Keep your exterior equipment clean and clear.
2. Strange Sounds
If you notice an unusual clicking noise from your unit when it would otherwise activate normally to heat your home, you could have a capacitor issue. Capacitors help control the energy draw of your unit and should be seen to by trained technicians like ours. If instead your unit functions but sounds more labored than usual, it could have to do with your refrigerant levels; see number four below.
3. Cooling Without Heating
Heat pumps are flexible systems that both cool and heat your home. More so than most of the rest of the country, homeowners in Alabama will likely find themselves needing both the cooling and heating functions within the same season. This is especially true during fall and spring. If you find that your system adequately cools but not heats, you likely have an issue with the valve that controls the flow of refrigerant within the system’s coils. Again, only qualified Houston’s technicians should handle repairs involving components like these.
4. Struggling Performance
If your system is clearly struggling to keep up with the cold temperatures outside, or blowing cool air altogether, it could be an issue with your refrigerant level caused by a leak. Houston’s technicians can check your system for leaks.